US Election 2024: Exit polls, result announcements, and key polling insights in Indian time

The U.S. Presidential election is scheduled for November 5, 2024, with some people already voting early. The race between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump is expected to be very close, and the final results might not be available right away.

As votes are counted, early leads could change, similar to what happened in 2020. In that election, Trump was ahead on election night, but as more votes were counted, Biden pulled ahead later on.

Polling Information

The official voting day is Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Polling hours differ by state but are usually from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM local time. In India, voting will begin around 4:30 PM IST on November 5 and will go on until 6:30 AM IST on November 6.

Closing Times by State

• Alabama: 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Alaska: 1 a.m. ET / 12 a.m. AT / 9 p.m. HST / 10:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Arizona: 9 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. MT / 6 p.m. PT / 7:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Arkansas: 8:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. CT / 6:30 p.m. MT / 7 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• California: 11 p.m. ET / 10 p.m. MT / 8 p.m. PT / 8:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Colorado: 9 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. MT / 6 p.m. PT / 7:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Connecticut: 8 p.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Delaware: 8 p.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• District of Columbia: 8 p.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Florida: 8 p.m. ET (most at 7 p.m. ET) / 7 p.m. CT / 6:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Georgia: 7 p.m. ET / 5:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Hawaii: 12 a.m. ET / 11 p.m. AT / 7 p.m. HST / 9:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Idaho: 11 p.m. ET / 9 p.m. MT / 8 p.m. PT / 8:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Illinois: 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 6 p.m. MT / 6:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Indiana: 7 p.m. ET (most at 6 p.m. ET) / 5:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Iowa: 10 p.m. ET / 9 p.m. CT / 8 p.m. MT / 8:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Kansas: 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. MT / 7:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Kentucky: 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT) / 5:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Louisiana: 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT / 7:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Maine: 8 p.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Maryland: 8 p.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Massachusetts: 8 p.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Michigan: 9 p.m. ET (most at 8 p.m. ET) / 7:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Minnesota: 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. MT / 7:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Mississippi: 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 6:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Missouri: 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 6:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Montana: 10 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. MT / 7 p.m. PT / 8:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Nebraska: 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. MT / 7:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Nevada: 10 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. MT / 7 p.m. PT / 8:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• New Hampshire: 8 p.m. ET (most at 7 p.m. ET) / 6:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• New Jersey: 8 p.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• New Mexico: 9 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. MT / 6 p.m. PT / 7:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• New York: 9 p.m. ET / 7:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• North Carolina: 8:15 p.m. ET / 6:45 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• North Dakota: 9 p.m. ET (most at 8 p.m. ET) / 8 p.m. CT / 7:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Ohio: 7:30 p.m. ET / 6 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Oklahoma: 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 6 p.m. MT / 6:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Oregon: 11 p.m. ET (some at 10 p.m. ET) / 9 p.m. MT / 8 p.m. PT / 8:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Pennsylvania: 8 p.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Rhode Island: 8 p.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• South Carolina: 7 p.m. ET / 5:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• South Dakota: 9 p.m. ET (most at 8 p.m. ET) / 8 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. MT / 7:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Tennessee: 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 6:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Texas: 9 p.m. ET (most at 8 p.m. ET) / 8 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. MT / 7:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Utah: 10 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. MT / 7 p.m. PT / 8:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Vermont: 7 p.m. ET / 5:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Virginia: 7 p.m. ET / 5:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Washington: 11 p.m. ET / 9 p.m. MT / 8 p.m. PT / 8:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• West Virginia: 7:30 p.m. ET / 6 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Wisconsin: 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT / 7:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  
• Wyoming: 9 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. MT / 6 p.m. PT / 7:30 a.m. IST (next day)
  

Exit Polls 2024

Exit polls give insights into voter opinions and help predict the election outcome, will kick off at 5 PM EST—that's 2:30 AM IST on November 6.

US Presidential Election Results

News outlets can report voting updates by state, but an official winner will only be declared once all votes are counted. In swing states, counting might take longer, especially in close races. If one candidate has a clear lead, a winner could be announced within hours, but if the race is tight, it could take days or even weeks to finalise, depending on the counting process and any possible legal challenges.

Most states follow a predictable voting pattern, so their results are announced quickly after voting ends. However, a few important swing states may take longer to determine a winner, which could delay the final outcome of the U.S. presidential election.

Some states aim to report most results by the day after the election, but others expect delays due to factors like processing mail-in ballots, verifying provisional votes, and counting ballots that arrive late. Each state has its own rules and timelines for these steps.

These differences in reporting can cause temporary shifts in vote counts, especially in close races. Early results might be influenced by the types of ballots counted first. For example, mail-in ballots, which often favour Democratic candidates, may be counted before same-day, in-person votes, which could show an early lead for Republicans.

To add to the process, some states require provisional ballots for voters who switch from mail-in to in-person voting. Election officials are encouraging patience as they work to ensure a complete and accurate count.